while officials say sandy was unprecedented, it wasn't entirely unexpected. for three decades, officials were told to prepare for a storm of historic proportions and a l law. >> nobody's taken the political courage to say, here's the standard for prepareness, here's the standard for recovery, we're going to help you fund it and then we're going to punish you if you don't get is there. >> reporter: three state reports since 1975 focused on preparedness, one addressed new york's preparability saying the sea level rise will progress regardless of new york's response. officials dealt with problems like housing, gas shortages and firings as they arose. congress even approved an army corps of engineers hurricane protection study nearly two decades ago, focusing on hard hit staten island. >> maybe some of these houses would have been saved. >> that report remains unfin nucleared. >> we have wased tax dollars and the city, sta the. >> reporter: changes that strengthen existing emergency response plans, leaders say that ultimately saved lives, but with no, now asking